RADIO
Alec Burleson Carries a Safe Production Floor Heading into 2026
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/outfielder Alec Burleson had a rock-solid season in 2025, hitting .290/.343/.459 with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, 54 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 546 plate appearances. The 27-year-old upped his barrel rate from 6.5% in 2024 to 9.8% in 2025 while still limiting his swing-and-miss and posting a 14.5% strikeout rate. The lefty-swinging Burleson has been limited to big-side platoon duties at certain points in his Cardinals' tenure, but that does not appear as though it will be an issue in 2026. St. Louis traded veteran first baseman Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox over the offseason, opening the door for everyday first base duties to Burleson. Burleson's underlying power metrics are more good than great, so he may not provide fantasy managers with 30-home run power. However, he's a good bet to be one of the better batting average assets at his position and could be a player worth targeting in the middle rounds of drafts heading into 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
